The Skii Beyond
by Jetstream Girge
Summary: Another tribute to a friend. Mostly for those who knew her and those that wanted to and did not get a chance to. She will be missed. And a shout out to Vayne and Xander. I hope you come back to write! Please respect the feelings of those who knew her and no flaming.


**My peer Vayne previously posted a tribute story to a dear friend of his, who had sadly passed away. I apologize to all my readers who have been waiting on me to update "Boundaries," but I felt that this took priority. Here is my tribute to the one who we all affectionately called Skii. Flaming and the like will not be tolerated. Please respect the feelings of everyone who knew her.**

* * *

"Ah… Yeah, I really needed this." Girge rolled his shoulders that were still glistening with sea water. He had just finished a rather long session of surfing through the blue waves. The white sand in between his toes darkened as they absorbed the liquid dripping from every inch of his body and his swim trunks. He strode to the stall with the cerulean and red surf board that he had rented and broke out a large smile to the tan stall keeper.

"Wow, you were absolutely right about going out there at this hour. The waves were great! Thanks a lot for the advice, I will be sure to come here again." He handed back the board, still smiling as his dark-brown, medium-length hair stuck to his head with moisture. The shop keeper turned to him and walked over, taking the board in his broad hands and set it behind the counter before reaching into a nearby cubby and pulling out a blue and white knapsack.

"Well, you mainlanders are not familiar with the waters here, so I figured I would give some advice." The middle aged islander handed the knapsack back to Girge and grinned. Girge merely returned the grin.

"Well, regardless of your reasons, I really appreciate the tips. Let's see… Here we are. That should be everything I owe you, plus some for the advice." He pulled out a leather wallet and withdrew several bills. After quickly counting them he forked over the cash to the shop keeper.

"Thank you for your patronage, enjoy the rest of your day." The tender skimmed over the amount and smiled in satisfaction as he opened the cash register and placed the money in the drawer.

"I will!" Girge beamed once more and spun on his heel and walked off, the knapsack slung over his shoulder.

* * *

A couple of hours later, Girge had dried himself and was now in his casual clothing, consisting of a pair of grey shorts and a deep blue T-shirt. His feet had only a pair of dark sandals as he dug them through the sand. He sat in the reclining chair under one of the many trees that dotted the edge of the beach, taking a swig of water from his metal bottle.

Girge had finally saved up enough money from doing small jobs over the holidays and over the course of his college years to come to Hawaii for a well-deserved vacation. And all by himself, too; as much as he would have loved for his family or friends to come with him, no one else had the time or the money to make the trip. So now here he was, on the island of Kaua'i, enjoying the island sun and cool sea breeze that blew in from the Pacific Ocean.

Then he remembered something.

"Oh yeah, doesn't Vayne live on this island? Maybe I should try getting in touch with him." A small smirk appeared on his lips as he pulled out his cell phone and logged on to the forum, Requiem From After the War.

Vayne was one of his friends on the forum. As strange as it was, Girge was probably the oldest on the forum. At least he thought he was as it was quite possible that some of the people on the forum would… exaggerate their age. Regardless, Girge would like to have a native on the island that would not look at him weird showing him around or at least to hang out with.

He understood their distaste in visitors from the mainland though. Tourists were often rude and mistreated the facilities made available to them. Girge had a room in one of the many hotels that were scattered about the island, but he did not abuse his privileges here. At least, he did not think he did.

After he logged on, he checked to see if Vayne was on, and what luck… he was. Girge had not told anyone on the forum that he was on vacation so Vayne had no idea that he was on the island. _I wonder if I could somehow surprise him…_ Girge plotted several scenarios in his head as he tried to find a way to meet Vayne without alerting him to his presence. Then his eyes fell on an earlier post.

Skii: I am so excited to see you Vayne!

Vayne: So am I. I can't wait until you land! Xander is coming too right?

Xander: You bet! We are boarding now. We will let you know when we land! See you soon!

"Oh?" Girge vocalized his surprise. It looked like Skii and Xander, two other members of the forum were heading over to the island as well. He checked the time stamps and they were from a about one day ago. Which means… he scrolled ahead and saw more posts, these ones from only hours ago.

Skii: We are here! Where are you?

Vayne: I think I see you… Don't move

Xander: Is that you? I think it is.

Skii: Turn to the left.

Skii: No your other left. Lol

Vayne: I am waving. Do you see me?

Girge did not need to read any farther. All three of them were on the island. Just as he was about to post something on the forum, another post caught his eye.

Vayne: All three of us are heading down to the beach!

It was from only minutes ago.

Girge was now curious. Would they be coming to the same one as the one he was at? He took another sip of water and returned the bottle to his knapsack before standing up from his comfortable position and began to scan the crowds of people coming and going.

Then he saw them. Or at least he thought he did. It was a small group of three people, consisting of one chestnut-haired girl, and two guys. One of the young men was tall and had a head of bright red hair and the other one was a little shorter with a head of black hair.

Girge now needed to see if this was who thought they were. He began to furiously type in a post on the forum and posted it.

Girge: Really? Don't get too crazy and get eaten by sharks! Totally kidding. XD

He looked up from his task and started to walk towards the group, watching them closely. The boy with the vermillion hair pulled out a cell phone and looked like he was reading something. He suddenly started chuckling and showed it to the other two, who then broke out into snickers.

Now Girge was passing behind them and he stole a glance at the crimson haired boy's screen.

It was the forum page. This probably meant that these three were Skii, Vayne and Xander. He grinned and came to a stop behind them, less than two meters away. He then slid over closer and spoke.

"Oh? Is that FanFiction? Are you a member?" He inquired to the red head, who jumped from the sudden intrusion. The other two leaped back as well and they all turned to face the newcomer. Girge chuckled and brought his hands up.

"Sorry, I just noticed that the site you had on your phone was FanFiction. I am an amateur author on the site. Do you write fan fics, too? Or do you just read them?" All three of them stared at him with wide eyes, stunned at what he just told them. The boy with the red hair spoke first.

"Well… yes, all three of us are members on the forum. Who are you? What is your pen name?"

"Oh, I go by Jetstream Girge, but my peers on the site call me Girge." He grinned. He could almost hear the gears inside their heads turning as they processed what he just said. Then the girl came to the realization first.

"Wait… _the_ Jetstream Girge. The Girge on the Requiem From After the War forum?"

"Bingo." He answered, never breaking that smirk on his lips.

"Oh my GOD! You're Girge!? How did – When –?" She started stuttering and looking about rapidly. It was pretty amusing.

"Since when did you get here!?" Now the ebony haired boy was voicing his confusion.

"I came to the island to enjoy a brief vacation. I only landed on the island two days ago." Girge responded, still grinning.

"Why didn't you tell us you were coming?" The red head questioned his eyes still wide.

"Kind of slipped my mind I guess. I was so excited to go on vacation that I did not really say anything on the forum. Plus I was busy packing and the like." Girge told them the truth. He had been pretty busy preparing for this getaway. "So I am guessing that you are Skii." He pointed to the brunette and she nodded excitedly. He then turned to the other two.

"Hm… I would say that… you are Vayne and you are Xander." Girge first pointed to the red head and then to the black haired boy. They looked at each other, shocked, and nodded as well.

"Wow. So is this just one of those crazy coincidences? What are the odds that we would run into each other?" Vayne finally snapped out of his surprise and smiled. "Well, since we are all here, let's go have some fun! Come with us, Girge!" He urged the now foursome to the sandy beach.

"Yeah! This trip just got even better! Woohoo!" Skii sprang ahead of the group and dashed onto the beach with Xander and Vayne in tow. Girge let out a small laugh and sprinted with them.

The rest of the day was filled with laughter and joy.

* * *

The red sun was dropping below the horizon, dying the Pacific Ocean the color of blood. No, such thoughts were depressing; let's say it looked like it was covered in red camellias. This indicated that it was time to head back home.

However, the group of four people running around the beach was too occupied with their games, consisting of simple games of tag and trying to count the most dolphins. By the time the sun had fallen below the crest of the Earth and night time fell upon them, they were still enjoying each other's antics.

Vayne would occasionally find some sort of pretty shell and try to sneak it into Skii's bag, but Girge would catch him often, saying "Oh, for me? That is really sweet of you Vayne." There was face palming aplenty.

With the cold night air assaulting them, the group of friends made their way to the hotel that Girge was staying at. They made their way to the suite that Girge had managed to reserve for himself. In hindsight, it was a good investment seeing as that there were now three more people present and the room was meant to accommodate that number plus some. There were two queen sized beds and then there were two futons that could be pulled out from the lavish couches.

Here, they continued to talk about one another and their current activities. They called for room service and their food was delivered to the suite promptly. After scarfing down their meals, Girge finally asked the question that had been plaguing his mind.

"So what brings Skii and Xander here? I thought you two lived on the mainland." It was an innocent question and a legitimate one.

But at this inquiry, Skii and Xander looked away, almost as if they were ashamed of being there. Girge could see that he touched a nerve and tried to rectify it.

"Sorry, if it's personal you don't have to tell me." His green eyes softened in apology. Skii quickly looked back to him, shaking her head.

"No, it's fine. It is a question that you have a right to ask. You see… I kind of… left home…" Girge could see the tears welling in her eyes and immediately regretted probing. Vayne wrapped his thin arms around the girl and rested his head on her shoulder.

"Skii, you know that we are here for you. I am here for you, no matter what happens." He touched her face lightly with his hand and held it there, gazing longingly into her eyes.

"I know Vayne. Thank you. But still… leaving the place you called home for so many years is… hard…" Skii started to calm down and she returned the gesture. Then Girge remembered.

Skii and Vayne were dating. Though, it was through their respective computer screens, so Girge was a little confused as to how that worked out. But seeing them together now seemed to put any concerns he had to rest.

Their faces got closer and closer until finally…

She pushed him away. Skii suddenly slid back on her seat, the couch, and stiff armed Vayne, shoving him away. Vayne looked bewildered… and hurt.

"Skii?" He breathed, the confusion apparent in his voice.

"Huh?" The brunette looked back at him with wide eyes and whipped her head about, staring at Xander and Girge's stunned faces. Then she did something odd… she sneezed.

"AHCHOO! Sorry, Vayne. But I did not want to cover you in my snot." She laughed nervously and the room burst into a storm of guffawing.

"Really, Skii? You had to ruin that perfect moment with a sneeze? What are we going to do with you?" Xander squeezed out these words in between his fits of giggling. Girge too was chuckling, but he saw it.

Her eyes were sad; so very sad. He was not entirely sure what it was that was bugging her, but there was something. Did it have to do with her leaving home? Or that she was now meeting Vayne, her so-called virtual boyfriend, face to face? Both?

He wanted to ask her about it, but before he could, the young girl sprang up from her seat and ran into the bathroom to blow her nose. _Hm… I guess I will ask about it if I get a chance to. Hopefully she'll indulge me._ Girge shrugged off his worry and continued to talk about his next story with his peers and friends.

* * *

It was now the middle of the night. Girge had surrendered his bed to Vayne while Skii slept in the other, leaving him and Xander to fall asleep on the futons. Girge's sleeping space was quite close to the sliding doors that led to the balcony.

The college student was roused from his slumber by a chilling breeze slipping under the covers and his eyes fluttered open, before blinking rapidly to focus his vision.

"Mmmm… Who opened the door? And at this hour?" He sat up on the futon and saw that, indeed, the doors to the balcony were open, allowing for the cool sea breeze to flow into the room. Girge looked around the room sleepily, noticing that Xander was sprawled out on his cot, sleeping like a log and Vayne was snuggled into the warm blankets of his bed, sound asleep. Then his eyes fell on the other bed. It was empty.

He was not sure what was going on, but he needed to check just in case. Now wide awake, he slid off the small pull-out bed and slipped on a pair of slippers, striding to the now-open balcony.

Once he silently crossed the threshold, he saw her.

It was Skii, and she was leaning on the railing, staring out into the open ocean and the reflection of the silver moon.

"You're not going to jump are you?" Girge smirked as he set himself next to her. Startled, she jumped and turned to face him wide-eyed.

"Girge!? Stop doing that. And no I am not going to jump. You think I am one of those cliché depressed adolescents who suffers in silence?" She glared at him with her cheeks puffed in irritation.

"Sorry, that was in terrible taste." He apologized sincerely and she seemed to ease up a bit. "Though, I still want to know what you are doing out here. It's the middle of the night."

She bit her lip and shifted her eyes to the floor. Her hands started to fidget and she constantly shifted her weight from one foot to the next.

"Okay, look. I saw how you were actually somewhat upset by Vayne's approaches. Is that it?" At this, she stared at him slack-jawed, but something in her eyes suggested something else.

"No? So that was only part of it?" Girge dug a little deeper, hoping she would open up. He knew it was none of his business, but something felt… wrong about ignoring this.

"… Girge, do you have a girlfriend?" She whispered nervously. Now it was Girge's turn to be surprised. He was not expecting that sort of response. However, he still answered truthfully.

"No I don't, actually. I had a couple here and there before, but not one currently. Where are you going with this?" His eyes narrowed as he scrutinized her, and she took a small step back.

"Well… did you break up with one because of distance? Like, physical distance, you were in one place and she another?" It looked like she was building up to something. Girge did not like to talk much about the past, mostly because what occurs in the past stays there and there was no need to dredge through those events. But he played along, looking for answers.

"Yeah, I did. We got together over the summer break, but when we returned to school I went to one state and she to another. After a couple of weeks of trying to keep the relationship together, we realized that it was not the same without the physical contact. So we broke it off. Though, we still exchange a text every now and then." He bent over the railing as he rambled on. Skii watched the older boy with undisguised interest, not in him, but his experience. "Now let me guess. This has to do with the opposite of that. You and Vayne were far from each other, and now here you are face to face. How am I doing?"

Skii gasped quietly and took another step back. After a couple seconds, she nodded her head.

Bingo.

But she was not speaking. Girge could now see why; she was on the verge of crying. Her bottom lip was quivering and her eyes glistened with tears. But he could not stop here; he had just caught a glimpse at what was eating at her and he'd be damned if he let that get away.

"Sorry, but I am going to have to get into your personal business now. So, let's see… You were fine with keeping Vayne at a distance because you felt that if he met you in person he would turn you away. The fact that you talking to him through a computer screen made it all the more easier." He saw her shoulders shudder and she tensed up, trying to hold back the sobs in her throat. "But… your decision to leave home and come here was sudden and you did not think much about it. By the time you got here, you realized that you were going to meet the person you called your boyfriend in real life. Now you are not hidden behind some screen, he sees you for who you are. You feel… exposed… vulnerable. How did I do? Hit the nail on the head?"

"… You always came off as smart on the forum, Girge. I guess I should not be surprised that you figured that out on your own…" Skii muttered, the salty tears still threatening to mar her face. "Yes, when I left home, I just wanted to get away from all of it; my dad, the boys that were always trying to pick me up, the stalkers… everything. Then Xander told me that he had made enough money to get me to Hawaii, far from all that. He told me that he and Vayne worked out getting me there and then starting a new life here with Vayne. I thought it was too good to be true, but Vayne confirmed it. When that happened, I just packed my bags and left with Xander. My dad is probably furious that I left. I did not think for a moment that I would be meeting Vayne personally; I just wanted to get away. I figured that out as we landed in Lihue Airport."

As she told him what had transpired, he saw a small smile appear on her lips. This could mean a couple of things. And now he wanted to know what.

"But you seem pretty happy, regardless." He cocked his head to the side. Now she had the deer-in-headlights look. He was getting close to the core of her insecurities, he could feel it.

"You know, Xander brought you here so you could start anew. If you are not going to do this for Vayne, at least do it for him." He exclaimed and she shook her head back and forth violently.

"No! I am not doing this for Xander or –" She cut off her response with her hand and the sobs nearly broke out. It was a pitiful sight.

He hated it.

He had seen her post on the forum before and now he could hardly believe that this girl standing before him was the same person. He could now see what her conflict was. She had lived a life as a nothing more than a figure to please. She was popular and the guys would flock to her and prostrate themselves before her. Never did she ask for that, but she got it anyways.

But, when she was online, she could play out herself as a person who always thinks of others first. Maybe that was her true personality, but now that she stood before the person she claimed to love, she was unsure of whom she should be to him. The girl who always got what she wanted or the kind, sweet young woman that everyone on the forum loved.

It was a crossroad for her, and she was afraid. Afraid of what everyone would think of her… of what Vayne would think of her. She was lying to herself and it was tearing her apart.

She looked so pathetic… so weak… so vulnerable.

And Girge knew how to get vulnerable women.

He carefully walked to the sliding doors and closed them before turning back to her, now with a different expression than the serious face he had on before. His eyes softened and a small, seductive smile appeared on his lips.

"I can see why you are so popular at school, Skii. You are beautiful, kind and know what you want. But, you still need someone to… look up to. Someone to achieve, shall we say." He spoke softly, as if he was speaking to a sleeping child and she looked at him with forlorn eyes. "You want a relationship that _you_ have to work for. I like that in a woman."

Now he was close enough to her that he could reach out and cup her small face in his hands. But he did it gently. The motion was enough to bring her face to his, yet she could not break away. And this was because, deep inside she was still battling herself and could not muster the will to resist.

He brought their faces closer and closer…

Then she finally got a hold of herself and threw him off her, his back striking the door and rattling the fittings.

"Girge… What are you doing?" She panted, panic filling her eyes.

"Giving you what you want. A man who wants to love you, but wants to see if you want him as well. I am a goal. Your trophy." He picked himself up and sneered.

"But… I can't…" She stuttered, her body shaking.

There it was.

"You can't? Why not?" He questioned, still smiling with that endearing grin.

"Because… Xander would kill you…"

"He can try, but I doubt he could beat me and you know it. Why?"

"Because… I don't see you like that…"

"And why don't you see me like that?"

"Because… I love Vayne…"

"Why do you love Vayne?"

"Why are you asking all these questions!?" She screamed as she ran her hands through her hair erratically.

"If you want me to stop coming on to you I need a reason to do so. A good reason. Now answer the question. Why do you love Vayne?"

"Because… because… I love him…" She finally broke. The tears flowed freely and she cried into her hands, falling to her knees. This went on for only a moment.

Then Skii felt a hand on her shoulder, but she did not have the will power to remove it. She just kept on crying.

"Then that is your answer." Skii heard those kind and gentle words in between her sobs.

"Huh?" She finally removed her hands from her face and saw Girge's face. But this time, it did not have that attractive smirk, but rather an understanding smile and he kept his face a good distance from her.

"That is your answer." He repeated almost laughing. "Sorry, but I am pretty bad at trying to get to the heart of things without breaking down some barriers. I am very sorry. I crossed a lot of lines just for that one answer. Or, two answers rather."

"What are you talking about?" Skii stammered, still heaving with the occasional sob.

"When I was asking all of those 'why' questions, I was trying to see if you would open up. And you did. You really do love Vayne. Enough that you apparently felt the need to mention it twice." Girge patted her shoulder and took her hand, pulling her to her feet. "You just gave yourself your own answer. You figured out why you are here. It was not to get away from home. Okay, maybe that was part of the reason, but the main purpose was to meet the man you love from the bottom of your heart. You were just making excuses because you were afraid."

"Afraid? Afraid of what?" She questioned, now nearly over her crying.

"Afraid to take a leap of faith. It is easy to hide behind a computer screen and talk to someone. Everything that comes up on that piece of glass or plastic can only be taken at face value. But when you meet with them for the first time in real life, you are putting yourself out there. It is like jumping into a pool from several feet up without knowing how deep it is." He grinned as he explained. "You might get hurt, you may find yourself the happiest person ever or nothing may happen at all. What matters though, is taking that deep breath and leaping. And I think you are about to do that. You know what it is you want. Now it is time for you go for it. Do not let it get away. Risk everything to achieve it and seize it. Not for Xander, not for Vayne, definitely not for me. But for yourself. Spread your wings and fly to the horizon. You don't know what lies over that horizon, but I can tell you what is over there."

She watched him as though she was watching a film that had reached its climax.

"The sky. An endless sky of possibilities. A limitless sky. But you will never see it unless you try to fly."

Skii was stunned. She never realized that these feelings were not to hurt her, but empower her. She felt… powerful; like she really could fly. And the wings that would carry her would be these feelings for Vayne that she kept bottled up.

"Girge… how do you do it? Say those things like they come naturally, that is?" She was awe struck.

"Huh? I just kind of make it up as I go, honestly." Girge scratched the back of his head nervously. "But give some credit to your elders, okay? We got experience that we are always willing to share."

"Hahaha, you sound like a grandpa when you talk like that." Her joyful laughter pierced the night air that seemed to thicken with the earlier happenings and the tension that permeated the atmosphere was gone. "Thanks Girge. That talk really helped. Sorry I pushed you into the door."

"Hey, I had it coming. I am surprised I did not get kicked in the balls." He laughed back. "Anyways, I think we spent too much time out here. Let's get some sleep, yeah?"

He turned around and slid open the door, though he quickly checked it for damage. Thankfully there was none.

"Now why don't you go to him? The bed is big enough for the two of you." Girge gave a playful wink. Skii just giggled.

"That would be embarrassing, but… I will try…" She walked back into the room, her brown hair fluttering behind her. She then noticed Girge was not following her in. "I thought you said we should get some sleep."

"Hey, I am on vacation. I want to enjoy this ocean air a little longer." He jeered back.

"Okay, but don't stay up too late. We all want to get an early start in the morning. Good night, Girge. And thanks." She gave him a short, polite bow before walking to the beds and Girge closed the door.

Now alone on the balcony, he let out the breath he was holding as though it were an explosive. _That was too close. _What if she actually came on to him when he tried that whole seduction thing? That would have made things very complicated between not only him and Skii, but between Xander and Vayne and Girge. He did not want that. He just wanted to give her the push she needed to get out there. But it looks like he got to her. Hopefully she would be a lot happier.

As cute as she was, she was still quite a bit younger than him. He had a variety of lines that he set not to cross. And he crossed many of them in that little pep talk. The things he does… He sighed to the wind before spinning on his heel and opened the door, walking in and closing it behind him.

As he walked back to his futon, he now noticed that one of the queen-sized beds was now empty. He could not stop the smile creeping onto his face as he looked to the other one.

There they were. Vayne was still soundly sleeping under the covers, but now so was Skii. And she was smiling. And it was no fake smile, this was a genuine smile of someone who found a new place to call home. In the arms of the man she loved.

On the other hand, this meant that the other queen-sized bed was now open. Girge silently congratulated himself on indirectly getting his bed back as he crawled under the covers of the now open bed.

Not too long after his head hit the soft, down pillow he fell under and his dreams consisted of something… awe-inspiring.

He was a bird soaring over the ocean towards a bright blue horizon. Suddenly, two other birds, flying side by side, pulled up next to him and took off to the crest of the sky.

"Go now, fly… Fly to the sky beyond…"

* * *

**A harsh lesson to take from this is that if you pass up an opportunity, you may not get another chance at it. I know she will not get any more chances. But there is something all of you can do. Look up, find something to work towards and go for it. Also, if you think that someone you know is being targeted or a victim of domestic violence, the worst thing you can do is do nothing. Talk to people, awareness is an incredible asset. It is just a shame though of what it takes sometimes for us to realize that. I can say with certainty that she is now soaring through the sky watching over all of us. Rest in peace, Yuki Skiilar Minna. I did not know you well, but I will never forget you and the harsh lesson that you taught me. You will be sorely missed.**


End file.
